[Uncover the secrets of Estonia]

Category: Abandoned Estonia

Abandoned buildings, across Estonia; left to crumble by the government. These derilict structures tell stories of forgotten industries cast aside by the remorseless growth of the modern world, secretive military schemes fuelled by Cold War paranoia, nineteenth century grandeur and brutal state-endorsed encarceration.

More poingant than any museum, the abandoned structures strewn across Estonia provide a captivating ‘alternative history source’ for all those brave enough to find the secrets that lay within their silent walls.

Despite the country’s dark past, the story of Abandoned Estonia is not a wall-to-wall tale of suffering and suspicion; there is beauty to be found in decay. As nature begins to reclaim what was once righfully hers, furniture is replaced by improbable germinating seeds and ugly concrete structures become entangled by opportunistic branches, sapping the strength of their host as their stranglehold tightens. Paint peels, metal rusts, wood rots and order turns to disorder as the mind begins to piece together tales from a hidden past.

The steps of Linnahall were originally built to signify Tallinn’s status as hosts of the sailing events for the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games. As part of a larger regeneration project – which included the building of a brand new highway, the sailing club in Pirita, the famous TV Tower and even the airport – the I.V. Lenin Palace of Culture and Sport, as it was originally known, is perhaps the only structure which has failed to live up to its billing. more “Linnahall: Abandoned Soviet-Era Concert Hall”…

About 50km from Tallinn lies the small town of Riisipere. After a lengthy bike ride we came face to face with this magnificent yet eerie mansion. Dating back to the 1800’s, the building and its grounds have been completely abandoned and left to the mercy of the elements for many years, giving this once grand structure a far more imposing aura.

I have often heard the phrase ‘a wall of silence’ used to describe a stillness so profound that it feels all-consuming. The grounds of Riisipere Mansion were engulfed by silence. No birdsong. No breeze. No rustling of the leaves. No life could be heard. Gardens were overgrown and a solitary rusting bench lay forgotten next to a vast lake that stretched out into the void. more “Stalked through the Abandoned Mansion, Riisipere”…

The imposing abandoned structure of Patarei Prison, just a stones throw from the main harbour, serves as a stark reminder of the brutality of the Soviet regime and offers a tantalising glimpse into the grim nature of prison life in Estonia during the late twentieth century.

Originally built as a sea fortress in 1840, this formidable compound housed inmates right up until 2004 and has remained almost completely untouched since its closure in 2006. With dead plants still on the tables, beds still made and bars of soap decaying in the showers, this eerie, uncomfortable and dirty place remains one of the most ubiquitous remnants of Tallinn’s dark past. Poignant, thought-provoking and utterly immersive. more “Patarei Vangla: Abandoned Soviet Prison not fit for Humans”…